Following is a list of Budgerigars stolen from NSW Open Breeder Wally Capper's Aviary, if anyone tries to sell you any of these birds please contact the Australian Budgerigar Society at www.absbudgieclub.org.au.

Ring Number               Sex        Colour and Variety        
CBC 08 WAL 152        C            Sky Blue Normal
CBC 09 WAL 128        H            Sky Blue Cinnamon Opaline
CBC 10 WAL 131        H            Light Green Spangle Dominant Pied
CBC 09 WAL 072        H            Greygreen Cinnamon Spangle Dominant Pied
CBC 08 WAL 008        C            Greygreen Opaline Spangle
CBC 10 WAL 097        C            Dark Green Spangle
CBC 09 WAL 038        H            White Lacewing
CBC 08 1022               C            Sky Blue Yellow-faced Spangle       

One African Grey and one Blue & Gold Macaw

Both handreared

Stolen from Crystal Pet & Wire Centre in Rooty Hill NSW on March 2, 2011.

Anyone that can assist with locating these birds or with any information please Phone (02) 9625 9170

What a way to start 2011!

Nevertheless, we have some serious work to do to assist those who have not been as fortunate as others. ABK has offered our services at our office to be a centre for the collection and recording of all information pertaining to those bird keepers who have suffered adversely, have lost birds and are in need of assistance due to the recent floods, particularly in Queensland.
We have all seen the media coverage however it is not until you actually speak to the victims that you truly realise the devastation left behind. Fireman Peter Derges who was sent in with the military and police to the Grantham and Helidon region described the scene as ‘surreal’. Words could not be found by many to describe the aftermath, particularly in areas that—as we went to press—had not been exposed to general media.

As an example I spoke to Ross Bussion of Murphy’s Creek, Queensland, who with his wife Karen and their five children is thankful to be alive. A family of bird lovers living on 10 acres, they lost 1000 poultry including special bloodlines such as Sussex, Orpington, Large Bantam, Silkie and more—most were chicks aged 4–22 weeks and breeders. Ross and Karen also had hundreds of other birds and around 200 parrots. Apart from their house they also lost six conventional and suspended aviaries, sheds and stables.
Other species lost included quail, pheasants, Mandarin Ducks, exotic and Australian Finches, lories and lorikeets including Yellow and Red Phase Dusky Lories, Purple-crowned, Little and Varied Lorikeets, Swift Parrot chicks, Eclectus, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo adults and young.

Ross found some losses very hard to handle such as the drowning of a Western Australian Long-billed White-tailed Black Cockatoo and the complete removal of a flight of eight suspended aviaries and their inhabitants including Nanday, Sun, Janday, Pearly and Pineapple Green-cheeked Conures. Although Ross concedes that his was not the worst case he gave permission for us to present his losses in support of relating to others the extent of loss and subsequent need for support. Wombaroo Passwell™ came to the party quickly by sending Ross 20kg of Complete Lorikeet™ to assist him in feeding his remaining 48 pairs and young lories and lorikeets.

Another scenario was that experienced by Mark Tully from Helidon, Queensland. Mark is a specialist keeper of rare and heritage animal breeds who lost 75% of his collection including rare breeds of poultry, ducks, geese, turkey, guineafowl, partridge and quail. Other animal losses included rare goats and some extremely rare pig breeds including Wessex Saddleback, Tamworth and Large Black Devon. The loss of some of these breeds will have a significant impact on the preservation of original bloodlines in these breeds.

Mark described the wall of water that impacted his area as measuring approximately 6 metres tall by 2 km wide—a force impacted with no warning. Mark is in need of fencing infrastructure—he lost 5 acres of 1.8 metre high heavy gauge mesh fences and the various paddocks within this area constructed from hinge joint fencing.
Another well-known Queensland bird keeper, Gary Stuhmcke, lost 60% of his collection—a loss of up to 200 birds including Gang Gang and Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos, Alexandrines, 15 pairs of Red-rumps, 40 Eastern Rosellas—a considerable dent in this special collection—Plum-heads, Violet Indian Ringnecks, Sun Conures, Malabars and his new interest—Miniature Belted Galloway cattle.
Fortunately Gary’s aviaries survived, but like many he has doubts about any insurance compensation for the loss of home contents and structural damage.

This wild water has also affected people in Victoria however as we finalised for press we had not received any notices of bird losses.
Thank you to those who have been brave enough to share your experiences in an effort to communicate your loss and pain. Our family is one built on the love of a mutual hobby—birds and other animals. If you have anything to offer as support please send the details to us in writing via email birdkeeper@birdkeeper.com.au or fax 07 5590 7130 for us to record.

The Queensland Finch Society, Finch Society of Australia, National Finch and Softbill Association, various Bird Clubs in South-east Queensland and Victoria are all supportive of receiving reports of hardship and of pledges of assistance to correlate with that which we at ABK receive.

Pledgers of assistance will be contacted in due course when the infrastructure is established to best handle and distribute your support.

Or you may prefer to donate directly to the Qld Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal on phone 1800 219 028 or the Red Cross Victorian Floods Appeal 2011 on phone 1800 811 700.

Keep safe and stay strong.

Sheryll Steele-Boyce



This photo was taken near Helidon, QLD by Peter Derges who described the scene as surreal. The mass of water had ripped over this creek bridge gauging out the land and destroying the road.